Brief
Piece
Shield
Shriek
View
Yield
Ah, third grade spelling lists. Above is a sampling of my son’s from last week, in which words containing “ie” were a significant focus.
Though an adequate eight-year-old speller, Ethan (unsurprisingly) inverted “ie” on several words, and was especially stuck on “shriek.” So much so, in fact, that I taught him an oft-used and eminently useful mnemonic poem for remembering the “ie” ordering rules:
“I” before “E” except after “C”
(Watch Ethan’s help recitation in the video below.)
As in “pIEr” versus “perCEIve.”
A wide range of mnemonic rhymes exist for spelling and grammar rules, and act as cues for this editor, her elementary-age offspring, writers and editors of all stripes – and you too!
Periodically I’ll reveal other favorite examples. In the meantime, please share yours in the comments section!
Pamela Barroway 